Friday, March 27, 2015

He has just cut a fifth tooth and is on the brink of crawling. He babbles constantly and his new favourite word to say is dog, which he says as "dagh," every time Granby is near.

Spencer never stops moving and wants to be held by me about 100% of the time, for which I can credit my trim arms. We call him "bam bam" for the way he bashes everything with his giant baby hands. If he can knock it over, pull it out or smash it, he will. We're in trouble.

I cherish the moments before Spencer goes to sleep, when he is still and snuggled into me. These are the only times he nurses and I love our quiet time together.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

You were four two weeks ago and it's taken me since then to figure out how to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am to be your Mama.

It find it amazing the way you make friends wherever we go. With other children at the park you are confident and kind, and it is wonderful to watch you introduce yourself and join in on whatever game is in play. People are drawn to you and no matter where we are you strike up a conversation with friends and strangers, telling them wild stories and sharing anything and everything that comes into your head.

You love to dance and sing and we often have kitchen dance parties to everything from Disney songs to Bruno Mars and Beyonce. I love watching you move to music and am amazed by the way you can take a tune and make up a song. Your 'hip dance' never fails to make me laugh but in all seriousness, you have a natural talent for dancing that has really blossomed this year. You love your ballet class with Ruby and I can hardly wait to see you on stage this year.

While three was not without it's challenges, you taught me to be more patient. I'm sorry for being too hard on you sometimes and that I was not as empathetic as you needed. I am sorry for yelling and I know that we both benefit from taking deep breaths together when emotions run high. I appreciate what a good listener you are becoming and how easily you understand the difference between right and wrong.

Eloise, you are dazzling. Your spirit is bright, your energy is contagious and we are so proud of the little person you have become. Four is going to be a good year.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

There are so many things to worry about when you're a parent. And I can add GMOs to that list. I've known about Genetically Modified Organisms for years and have been seeking out GMO-free products when possible (labeling here in Canada is scarce) but the documentary GMO OMG was a huge eye-opener at just how widespread the GMO problem is.

Such as, did you know that 88% of the corn and 94% of the soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered? And 85% of all processed foods include genetically engineered ingredients. Modifications in the form of "Roundup Ready" which means that the plants' genes are altered to allow them to grow, and grow quickly, even when doused with huge amounts of Roundup, an icky, Monsanto-made herbicide. The dangers of GMOs are largely unknown, and much of the testing done on the seeds has been completed by Monsanto itself and not released to the public. That's pretty shady.

60 countries around the world label GMOs, but not Canada or the US. Here are a few ways we can avoid GMO foods as much as possible:

Look for "GMO-Free" labels. Companies such as Silk, who make my fave Almond Milk & Soy Creamer, are certified GMO-free by the Non-GMO Project. Check them out to find more products.

Buy organic! In order to be certified organic seeds cannot be genetically engineered.

Buying sugar? Rogers Sugar refined in Vancouver is made from sugar cane, which has not been genetically modified. Refined sugar is also made from sugar beets, 95% of which are genetically engineered. When you buy sugar look for the product code starting with 10.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

It's been pretty quiet around here. Work is busier, kids are busier and that makes for one tired mama who uses spare time for fun things like housework and meal prep. The joys!

Spency, you were officially nine months old 27 days ago so to say I'm a little late to the party is laughable, but that's just the kind of month it's been. Let's see, at nine months you:

Figured out how to go from sitting to lying down and rolling front to back to grab whatever you can. No crawling yet, but you're not far from it.

Cut your second top tooth. Finally.

Started clapping!

Give Eskimo kisses.

Began babbling words - Lala for Eloise, Mama, Dada and Dog. Mama is often whined at me in desperation, so we know that one is for real.

Really developed your personality. You are still the calmest, happiest baby, but we've also learned you are determined, goofy and just a little defiant. Biting is not nice buddy, even if you think it's hilarious when we tell you no!

Haven't let us down in the love of food department. Your favourites are yogurt, yams, apples, toast and oatmeal. You do not like chicken or avocado.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Before the month is through I thought I should post Spencer's eighth month update. Only three weeks late.

I know I keep saying this, but time feels like it's going so quickly with Spencer. He continues to be the happiest, calmest, most easy going little dude. He sits very sturdily now and loves playing with blocks and balls on his own (and Eloise's doll, Baby Emma, but shh, don't tell her!). He puts everything in his mouth and has finally cut a top tooth. He loves eating fruit and veggie purées, chicken, plain yogurt and buttered toast.

Spencer gets excited when he sees me which makes me melt and gives big, sloppy kisses. He also does a little happy dance we call disco wrists where he makes his mouth into an 'o' or laughs hysterically while rolling his wrists excitedly. It's hilarious.

I wish I could tell you definitively how much Spencer weighs but I can't. It's just a lot. Like probably more than Eloise, which my biceps both curse and thank him for.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

To say my birthday was good would be a gross understatement. It was fricken fantastic.

Chris blew me away with a day of surprises on my actual birthday. He arranged for me to have a massage in the afternoon then took me for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants, Blue Water. We stayed downtown for the night and when I woke up I honestly didn't know where I was. The sun was shining and you could here the hustle of a busy downtown weekday, it felt like we had teleported away on vacation. We read the paper in bed and drank coffee while it was still hot then walked to brunch at our leisure and spent the rest of the day shopping. Chris was so patient and generous and let me choose the most gorgeous new purse. The 24 hours we spent kicking off my 30s seemed like a dream.

The rest of the week was spent on party prep for my Clueless/90s themed birthday celebration. Considering tat I can no longer do things small scale - otherwise known as the curse of the event planner - I am actually proud of how I kept the decor at a manageable level. Some signs, candy bar labels, a little glitter and a few last minute crafts were the sum total and Chris and my mom handled food and drinks. The party turned out beautifully but the best part was all the effort my friends put into their costumes. They were fabulous! I went as Cher from Clueless, of course, and finally got to wear my yellow plaid Partyskirt bought months ago especially for this occasion. Friends came as Courtney Love & Kurt Cobain, The Spice Girls, Kriss Kross and even Mrs. Doubtfire. The prizes were well deserved.

We ate, we drank, we danced, we stayed up til 3am and then felt like parents all over again with a 6:45 wake up call. The hangover was well worth it though and I spent the first Sunday of my 30s with my best friend, Lanny, recovering in pjs, eating chips and gabbing for hours. It was a perfect introduction to what is sure to be my best decade yet.

Monday, January 12, 2015

It was dinnertime before it dawned on me that today was the final day of my 20s. I worked all day with Devon, hung with the kids, did several loads of laundry, prepped dinner as usual and was just sitting down to feed Eloise and Spencer when I received a text from a friend asking what I was doing to celebrate the final eve of my 20s. Well, absolutely nothing. So I poured a big glass of wine, cheersed Eloise and continued on with the evening.

Ah, 30. The past 10 years have been pretty flippin amazing and it's because of this that I am feeling okay about turning 30. Mostly. I do resent that age is responsible for the appearance of wrinkles, finding the odd *ahem* white hair and having to wear glasses to see distance, but these things were bound to happen. I am not pleased that my hangovers last doubly as long and that it is no longer appropriate to wear crop tops, yet I promise to embrace the changes that 30 brings anyway. Even though I'm still a bit miffed about the crop tops.

The thing that gets me about 30 is that it just sounds so grown up. I realize that I have been married for five years, have two children, own a business, blah blah blah, but there is something about being in your 20s that allows you to get away without being a full adult adult. Right? Or maybe I have just been telling myself that. 20 is so long ago now that when I go out with my friends we have become the 'older women' to a group of newly legal 19 year olds. Who were born in 1996, for the record.

One of my brother's hip friends (I'm not allowed to call them 'hipsters', it's not cool) told me that 30 is the new 24. Ya, I'm pretty sure Jay Z said 30 is the new 20, but I'll take it as a compliment anyway.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

You know how they say that training a dog is actually more about training the human? I feel like this same idea applies to Eloise and sleep. Not that Eloise is anything like a dog, it's just a similar scenario.

We are now just two stickers away from a full sleep chart and all it took was for Chris and I to train ourselves not to give in. It seems so silly now that we've been struggling with Eloise and sleep for as long as we have when all it took was perseverance. Eloise still occasionally wakes up but I just walk her back to bed and give her a kiss and that's it. Or I she wakes up mid-dream and puts herself back to sleep. It's remarkable and kind of ridiculous all at the same time how simple it is.

In other news I was only up with Spencer once last night, so perhaps his sleep regression this week was just a minor blip and we can get back to normal, whatever that is.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

When I was a little girl my favourite, favourite television show was Road to Avonlea. It was MY show and on Sunday at 7pm it didn't matter if we were in the middle of dinner, there was a hockey game on, or even if I was in the middle of homework, when Road to Avonlea aired it was sacred time. Remember, this was pre-PVR so if you missed it, you missed it.

I still think that Road to Avonlea is one of the best tv shows ever created, certainly the best Canadian (hello, three Emmys!), and I watch the reruns whenever I can find them. I feel a strange sort of nostalgia for the show and if we do have any more children, Felix and Cecily will be on my list of baby names once again (I mean, Felix Wilkinson, could that be any cuter?).

Road to Avonlea was the beginning of my affection for historical fiction and Downton Abbey is my current obsession. I can't get enough! The story is engaging and mysterious, the scenery and costumes beautiful, and the acting is excellent. Downton Abbey season 5 started last night and once again, I'm totally hooked and
eager to see what happens next (WHO will Lady Mary choose?). Lord help those who feel inclined to share spoilers, I can't even watch the season preview or read the episode synopsis, just like my Road to Avonlea, this is the kind of show that deserves to be savoured.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Is there some seven month sleep regression I should know about? Because in the span of just a few nights Spencer has gone from rockstar sleeper to little terror.

Spencer is still going down without issue but for three nights in a row he has woken up less than 30 minutes later and requires an hour of bouncing to put him back to sleep. If he was just fussing I'd leave him, but his cries are the full-on, wailing-coughing cries that Eloise used to do right before she barfed. It's on nights like these that I dream of separate rooms.

It is not surprising that Spencer started waking up at exactly the same time that Eloise started sleeping. It would be silly of me to expect easy when it comes to sleep around here, right?

Saturday, January 3, 2015

It's been a month in the making but Spencer can finally sit unassisted. It seems to me that many babies sit by about six months - Spencer is seven and a half months now - but he is also stabilizing a considerable amount of weight. He has even figured out how to catch himself before falling over!

Given his size I do wonder what Spencer's development we be like when it comes to crawling and walking. Will he bum schooch like Eloise or actually crawl? I don't see him as an early walker, which is a good thing, but I also don't want to be hauling all 30-ish pounds of him around until he is 17 months old. For now I'm good with sitting.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Today marked the fourth in a row that Chris and I woke up in the morning for the first time since going to sleep. We were not woken up by children during the night and we did not have to share our bed either. I'm sure this sounds like any old morning to many of you, but if you have been reading this blog for a while then you know how much we have struggled with Eloise and sleep. Waking up after an uninterrupted sleep is a luxury that Chris and I have not enjoyed in almost two full years. This is a big deal.

Last week we reached a breaking point and even Eloise knew it. Her sleeping with us has gone from fine to unbearable. She used to just fit in and peacefully slumber but in the last few months her sleep has become restless and she aggressively kicks her legs on top of the covers, wakes up demanding things or nails one of us with a kick to the jaw. Chris and I have started getting more frustrated with her and each other, often arguing in the middle of the night or dealing with whining and tears. We are tired, Eloise is tired and the effect of her sleeping in our bed has gotten to be too much.

Eloise asked the other day, "Mommy, why is it all dark under your eyes?" I explained that I have dark circles because I am really freaking exhausted (though not in those exact words...) and she noticed that it looked a little dark under her eyes too. We both agreed that the solution was sleep and Eloise suggested trying to stay in her bed all night. Great idea! The first night Eloise woke up four times and Chris and I took turns taking her back to bed. The second night it was only once and when I tucked her in again I surrounded her with peeps and dolls to keep her company. The third night she went to bed at eight and woke up at eight without so much as a peep. Same goes for the fourth night. Eloise is so ridiculously proud of herself, and we are too.

Spencer has of course has been sleeping through all of this. He does occasionally fuss in the night but we leave him and he puts himself back to sleep. I wouldn't dream of bringing Spencer into our bed or even waking up to nurse him in the night. It might seem harsh, but this ridiculous sleep game needs to end with Eloise.

Slowly the boxes of Eloise's sleep chart are filling up with stickers and we have promised a trip to Toys R Us for whatever she wants. Yesterday it was a monster truck and today a Frozen Anna doll, but honestly, Chris and I are so thankful to be the only people sharing our queen bed that if Eloise wants a ride-on Barbie jeep I might even consider it.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Our Christmas was all sorts of perfect. Eloise was full of Christmas delight and her sincere gratitude for each and every gift filled Chris and I with so much pride. She thanked the gift giver with a hug and a kiss and
continuously proclaimed throughout the day, "This is the best Christmas
ever!" And it was.

For months Eloise talked about the pink princess computer that she hoped Santa would bring. Her desire for this particular toy seemed to come from nowhere, then I pressed for why and it turned out she just wanted send emails like I do. Oh my little sponge! I was a bit reluctant to purchase a toy computer since cheap plastic, electronic, noise-making toys really aren't my jam, but Santa wishes trump parental objections. When Eloise saw her pink computer she did a little happy dance, clutched it to her chest, looked up to the ceiling (aka The North Pole) and said, "Oh Santa, thank you! It's my perfect pink computer!" I figured that the computer would have Eloise's undivided attention for the rest of the day but she opened up every gift with equal amounts of wonder and appreciation. Frozen was the other hit of the day and Eloise teetered around in light-up Elsa shoes from Unky T clutching her skating Elsa Barbie from my best friend, Di.

Christmas excitement proved to be too much for our youngest participant and Spencer didn't sleep for more than 30 minutes all day. But even without sleep he was his delightful self. Santa brought him a Manchester United ball (which, let's be honest, was also for Chris) and he was spoiled by our friends and family with awesome toys and adorable clothing (see navy polka dot bow tie above).

My parents - or Other Santas - surprised Spencer and Eloise with gorgeous wooden wagon that has big sturdy wheels and enough cargo space to cart two kids to and from the Papa park. We took the wagon for its inaugural journey to run errands, hauling a giant bag of dog food, diapers, baby supplies AND Eloise, no problem.

Our Christmas was lazy, fun and relaxing, filled with drinking, eating and playing with new toys. The kids were spoiled, we were spoiled and all of the prep required to get organized for the day was totally worth it. I can hardly wait for next year.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Living at our condo with Eloise as a baby seems like a hundred years ago but our creative solution to giving her her own space is still getting people's attention.

A month ago I was contacted by an editor at POPSUGAR who asked to feature our Closet-to-Nook conversion and it is so cool to see our little project this week on such a widely read website. The response to our Nook on POPSUGAR's Facebook page was quite fascinating. Some people loved loved the idea, some people hated it and one reader commented that we should be put in a closet for suggesting a baby sleep in there! Ha! The other thing I noticed was people's concern for safety, especially with infant dangers like SIDS. Like any other parent, I would never do anything to compromise my child's safety and the truth is, Eloise's Nook was more of a space solution for only a short period of time. Her crib wheeled out of the Nook for sleep - providing proper airflow - and tucked neatly away when not in use. We knew that we would not be living in our condo forever and I was confident that by the time Eloise was reaching and able to stand she would have a larger space; therefore things like pictures about the crib (which, for the record, were firmly affixed to the wall) and a drape would never pose danger or be a strangulation hazard.

Discussion aside, it is super cool to see that our project can open people's eyes to small space solutions with children. Even now, we manage quite nicely in under 1000 square feet as a family of four. Maximizing space is about being creative.